In this week’s episode we speak with Dr Theresa Kidd and Dr Miriam Kirby, who are both Clinical Psychologists at The Kidd Clinic. PDA is an Autistic profile that is relatively newly described, Theresa and Miriam speak about how to identify individual with this profile and how to support them in a neurodiversity affirming and trauma informed way.

Resources:   
The Kidd Clinic: https://www.kiddclinic.com.au/ 
Socials: https://www.facebook.com/thekiddclinic | IG: @thekiddclinic | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kiddclinic/ 

Public and Private Professional Learning Opportunities: https://www.kiddclinic.com.au/training 

PDA society- Identifying & Assessing a PDA profile – Practice Guidance: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/resources/identifying-assessing-a-pda-profile-practice-guidance/  
 
Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model: https://livesinthebalance.org/our-solution/ 

Helping Autistic Teens to Manage their Anxiety book: https://www.kiddclinic.com.au/dr-theresa-kidds-book  
 
Spoon Theory Therapy Material:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ScTT2pZWgnz5sWLfHtvwJXBWXpt8TkKN/view?usp=sharing  

A Kidd Clinic blog post on PDA identification: https://www.kiddclinic.com.au/blog/a-therapists-cheat-sheet-for-identiying-the-child-pdaer 

Upcoming Online Workshop - Supporting Autistic Women in Therapy: https://events.humanitix.com/supporting-autistic-women-in-therapy-using-a-neurodiversity-affirming-approach

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Pathological demand avoidance S6E20

“Long Road Behind (Truckie Song)” by Austic Zone is a heartfelt country ballad about love, loss, and letting go with grace. Sung from the female perspective to a life-long truckie, it is both a farewell and a blessing — asking him not to turn back, but to keep rolling on. 

The song uses the long road as a metaphor for a relationship’s end — carrying memories, closure, and the hope of peace ahead. It’s not angry or bitter, but reflective and kind, a universal farewell that speaks to truckies and to anyone who has had to say goodbye with love still in their heart. 

This track is released under Creative Commons so it can travel further. You’re welcome to download it, sing it, and share it with others. All I ask is that you credit Austic Zone as the songwriter, and keep the lyrics true. Together we can let the song roll down new roads and reach more voices.
#country #ballad  #acoustic #slowtempo #farewell #goodbye #relationship #loveandloss #movingon #truckie #truckiesong #roadtrain #longhaul #linehaul #freight #haulage #highways #outbackroads #roadlife #travel #memories #reflective #emotional #journey #driverslife #ontheroad #australia #austiczone #countrymusic

Long Road Behind (Truckie Song)

“This Should Be Care” is a song written about the trauma caused by police responses in Australia — when people in crisis reach out for help but are met with fear, force, and violence instead of compassion.  

It’s a voice for the vulnerable: the autistic, the mentally ill, the distressed — and the families left to pick up the pieces after “care” turned into control.  

This isn’t anti-police — it’s pro-accountability.  Police need Traum informed care.

It’s a reminder that “protect and serve” should never mean “hurt and silence.”  

This song is written from lived experience.

If you’ve ever watched the system fail someone you love — this one’s for you.

#Australia #AustralianPolice #policetrauma #songforjustice #accountability #mentalhealth #autismawareness #neurodivergent #crisisresponse #songwithmessage #truthmusic #socialcommentary #reform #policereform #awareness #activism #injustice #realstories #protestmusic #spokenword #darkacoustic #australianmusic #indieartist #truth #rawvocals #mentalhealthmatters #humanrights #systemicfailure #socialjustice #musicforchange #trauma #traumainformed

This Should Be Care

This song explores the painful truth many autistic adults face in therapy — when the system treats their autism as something to fix, not something to understand.

"Therapy Isn’t Safety" is an educational and emotional piece about the need for identity-affirming, trauma-informed care. It gives voice to those who’ve been misunderstood, blamed, or retraumatized by professionals who didn’t listen.

This song reminds us that real healing doesn’t come from masking or being told to change — it comes from being seen, accepted, and supported as who we truly are.

🎧 Listen, reflect, and share to raise awareness for autistic voices.  
💬 Comment your thoughts and stories — your experiences matter.  
🔁 Repost, duet, or sing it yourself — just please credit the original songwriter.  
Together, we can change how care and compassion are understood.

#autism #autisticvoice #neurodiversity #autismawareness #actuallyautistic #mentalhealth #traumainformed #healingjourney #neurodivergent #autisticsong #autisticartist #selfacceptance #identityaffirming #therapy #songaboutautism #femalevocals #emotionalmusic #educationalmusic #awarenesssong #spokenwordmusic #softacoustic #truthsong #autisticwoman #healingnotcuring #autisticexperience #mentalhealthsong #understandingautism #autisticcommunity #autismactivism #traumarecovery

Therapy Isn’t Safety

“Silent Wounds (Police)” is an Aboriginal stripped-back cultural ballad by AusticZone — a raw and powerful piece of spoken-sung storytelling built on deep clapsticks, male-led vocals, and truth-telling from Country.

This song gives voice to those who have lived through forced care, trauma, and institutional neglect. It stands as a cultural reflection on policing, pain, and the ongoing need for compassion within systems that were never made to heal. Rooted deeply in Australia’s land, language, and lived history, this piece carries both grief and pride in equal measure.

It teaches through four connected truths:

1. **Systemic Trauma** – The lyrics expose how the scars left by authority run deep — long after the sirens fade. It’s a reminder of the unseen wounds carried by communities who have endured harm in the name of protection.

2. **Cultural Strength and Survival** – Beneath the sorrow runs pride and endurance. The clapsticks echo resilience — a living heartbeat of culture that refuses to be silenced, even when systems try to erase it.

3. **The Call for Trauma-Informed Care** – “Silent Wounds” is both a song and a lesson. It urges institutions to move beyond control and punishment — to understand trauma, to listen first, and to see healing as a form of justice.

4. **Healing and Connection** – Though it holds anger and sadness, the song also holds hope — the possibility of truth-telling, reconciliation, and new ways of care built on respect and empathy.

Raw, proud, and rooted in Australia — “Silent Wounds (Police)” stands as an Aboriginal voice for healing and awareness. It’s not just music; it’s education, reflection, and culture in motion.

By AusticZone  

#AusticZone #SilentWounds #PoliceTrauma #AboriginalMusic #FirstNations #CulturalBallad #Clapsticks #SpokenSung #Australia #TruthTelling #HealingThroughMusic #SocialJustice #TraumaInformedCare #ForcedCare #MentalHealth #CulturalHealing #ProtestSong #IndigenousVoices #EducationalMusic #Empathy #Reform

Silent Wounds (Police)

We Are Patients is a spoken-word anthem for Australia’s medicinal cannabis community — a powerful, human reminder that patients are not criminals. Across the country, people use medical cannabis legally to manage pain, anxiety, PTSD, sleep issues, and chronic illness, yet still face stigma, discrimination, and outdated drug-driving laws.

This track calls for compassion, reform, and evidence-based policy. It speaks for parents, workers, veterans, and neighbours who rely on cannabis as prescribed medicine — not as a crime. Every line is grounded in truth: cannabis helps people live with dignity, maintain employment, and participate fully in their communities.

We Are Patients supports the broader movement for legal access, drug law reform, and equal rights for all Australians using plant-based medicine. It’s a voice for safety, fairness, and inclusion — created to educate, empower, and inspire positive change.

Creative Commons licence — free for radio, media, and public use. Please credit Lolly (AusticZone) as songwriter.

#WeArePatients #MedicinalCannabis #MedicalCannabis #CannabisReform #DrugDrivingReform #PatientsRights 
#LegaliseCannabis #EndTheStigma #PlantMedicine #ChronicPain #AnxietyRelief #PTSD #SleepHealth 
#DisabilityRights #Australia #NSW #HarmReduction #EvidenceBasedPolicy #PublicHealth #AusticZone #CreativeCommons

Medical Cannabis Songs

We Are Patients (Not Criminals)

“Fibromyalgia (The Quiet Storm)” hits with raw honesty — a folk-rock anthem for survivors of invisible pain. With punchy acoustic strumming, a hint of tambourine, and a voice that balances grit with grace, this song captures the paradox of living with fibromyalgia: the strength behind exhaustion, the humour that keeps you standing, and the storm no one else can see.

It’s a song for those who keep showing up when their body says no, who laugh through pain because it’s the only way to live. The tone is stripped back and human — no polish, no pity — just truth, rhythm, and resilience.

Female vocals carries both ache and defiance, echoing the everyday heroism of chronic illness and neurodivergent endurance. There’s a quiet wink in the delivery — that dry Australian humour that says, “Still here. Still going.”

Lyrics:
It moves through me, silent fire,
A storm that no one else can see.
Every muscle holds a wire,
Buzzing pain that won’t set me free.

It’s not in my head, it’s in my nerves,
Every signal burns and swerves.
I’m tired of pretending I’m fine,
This body’s a maze that steals my time.

Too much light, too much sound,
One wrong touch and I shut down.
They say it’s stress, they say it’s strange,
But it’s my world that needs to change.

If you knew the fight beneath my skin,
You’d see the strength it takes to begin.
Every day, again, again,
Finding peace inside the pain.

It’s not in my head, it’s in my bones,
Electric signals, ancient tones.
If you feel this storm like I do,
You’re not alone — I see you too.

Written by Lolly (AusticZone).
License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

Fibromyalgia (The Quiet Storm)

You might see refusal. You might hear “no way.” But what if that behaviour is actually fear, not defiance?

This acoustic folk song offers a clear, emotional window into the world of PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), a lesser-known autistic profile that’s often misunderstood as rudeness or control. With a warm strumming guitar and a punchy, honest female vocal, the track breaks through common assumptions to show what’s really going on: a nervous system overwhelmed by pressure.

“It’s Not Control (It’s PDA)” is both educational and deeply human. It's a song for parents, teachers, and anyone trying to understand the difference between “won’t” and “can’t.” Sometimes the bravest thing a child can do is say “no”, not out of rebellion, but out of survival.

Lyrics:
You see a kid who says "no way"  
You think they're rude or gone astray  
But stop a sec, there’s more to say  
This might be something called PDA

Pathological Demand Avoidance 
that’s the name  
But it’s not a choice, it’s not a game  
It’s not about being in control  
It’s how they protect their heart and soul

It’s not control, it’s safety  
Not attitude, it’s bravery  
Every demand feels like a wall  
They’re not being bad, not at all.

So lower your voice, and meet them slow  
Let them lead, let pressure go  
With trust and time, they’ll find their way  
They’re not defiant, it’s PDA

Written by Lolly (AusticZone).  
License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

It’s Not Control  (It’s PDA)

This upbeat folk piece captures the raw moment when a lifetime of confusion suddenly makes sense. The Big Reframe (Autistic) tells the story of late diagnosis, the shock, the grief, and the relief that follows when the word “autistic” finally fits. It’s about realising you weren’t broken, just misread. That the fight to blend in wasn’t weakness, it was survival.

This is a song for everyone who found out late, who rewound decades of memories and saw them through new glass. It’s the story of unmasking, of finding structure in the truth, and of meeting the unfiltered self for the first time — not with shame, but with awe.

It’s not a eulogy for the past. It’s a celebration of translation — the first one that feels accurate.
Because knowing who you are is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of your real one.

Lyrics: They called it a phase,
then they called it just life.

You called it coping,
but it felt more like war.

Years of masking,
not even knowing you were.

Now the word lands autistic
and everything rearranges.

You rewind decades in seconds.

Conversations, jobs, friendships
all seen again,

through glass you didn’t know was there.

You feel tricked,
but not by a person.

By a world that measured your worth
in neurotypical currency.

And you spent yours faking fluent.

But now you know.

And knowing isn’t shame.
It’s structure.

It’s name.

It’s not too late to meet yourself.
The version unfiltered.

The one who doesn’t ask for permission to exist.
You weren’t broken.

You were misread.
By others.

And by the script they handed you.

Tear it.
Burn it.

Keep the ashes if you need reminders.

Because this?

THIS is your first accurate translation.

And damn,
it’s beautiful and real.

Written by Lolly (AusticZone).
Sing it, share it, like it and repost it if this message touched you.
License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

#autism-awareness, #masking, #self-discovery, #identity-shift, #emotional-healing, #trauma-informed, #advocacy, #neurodivergent, #autistic-identity, #empowerment, #resilience, #awareness, #storytelling, #reflective, #acoustic, #folk, #australian-music, #authenticity, #hope, #transformation, #austiczone

The Big Reframe (Autistic)

When love becomes survival, strength starts to look like distance.
This song is for every woman who’s been blamed for protecting her peace.

It tells the story of a woman who’s been called toxic for learning to protect herself.
It’s not about bitterness, it’s about the emotional cost of betrayal and the courage it takes to rebuild trust in yourself.

Once she was soft, patient, and forgiving. She loved deeply and believed people could change. But after being lied to, dismissed, and blamed, she stopped trying to be the version of herself that made others comfortable. 

Her distance isn’t coldness, it’s self-preservation.

This song challenges the way we label women who stop tolerating harm. It reminds us that survival can look like silence, boundaries, or walking away, and that none of those things make someone toxic. They make them strong.

(Chorus excerpt)
She’s not toxic, she’s surviving.
You broke her trust, now she’s still trying.
She built her walls to stay alive 
she’s not toxic, she’s surviving.

Sing it. Share it. Let it speak for every person who’s been punished for healing.
Because healing doesn’t make you hard, it makes you whole.

Every play, every voice, helps bring truth and empathy back into how we talk about women, trauma, and recovery.

Written by Lolly (AusticZone).
License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

#toxic-love, #broken-trust, #emotional-healing, #relationship-recovery, #boundaries, #self-worth, #resilience, #survival, #empowerment, #trauma-recovery, #gaslighting, #manipulation, #emotional-awareness, #female-perspective, #storytelling, #australian-music, #lived-experience, #recovery-song, #reflective, #austiczone

She is not toxic She is Surviving

She wasn’t born overwhelmed, she was raised to survive overwhelm. A song about ADHD daughters: how learning to keep peace in childhood shapes how they love as adults.

She learned to read rooms, smooth tension, apologise for being wired different. That survival wiring follows her into relationships, anticipating needs, holding the calm, burning out from doing too much.

It’s not control; it’s fear of chaos. It’s not “too much”; it’s never being allowed to rest. 

This song names the pattern so daughters can see themselves with compassion, and listeners can finally understand why love feels heavy when your nervous system never switches off.

(Chorus excerpt)
She learned love through survival,
not through calm or rest.
Always reading every tone,
doing her anxious best.

Sing it. Share it. Reuse it with attribution — this work is licensed CC BY.

Every play helps replace shame with understanding for ADHD women and their families.

Written by Lolly (AusticZone).
License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

#adhd-daughter #adhd-women #adhd-awareness #emotional-overwhelm #masking #neurodivergent-love #childhood-patterns #relationship-patterns #self-worth #resilience #recovery #emotional-regulation #boundaries #empathy #healing #connection #understanding #overstimulation #dysregulation #people-pleasing #caretaker-patterns #attachment #nervous-system #trauma-awareness #lived-experience #storytelling #australian-music #folk-ballad #austiczone #survival-to-safety

She Learned Love Through Survival (ADHD)

Autistic Adult writing lyrics for songs for healing from PTSD, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control and seeking Trauma Informed Care For Front Liners. All my songs are FREE, I invite artists to record my songs as long as words not changed and attribution given to AusticZone. Still building this platform so please be patient while I organise things. Bless you

She Learned Love Through Survival (ADHD)

AusticZone

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